It is 7:00 pm on a Wednesday. Although you have technically been ‘present’ for the past hour in your lecture, you dazed out within the first ten minutes – admittedly scrolling aimlessly through your Instagram feed. It is at this moment when your professor announces,“… and for the last twenty minutes of today’s lecture, I will split the class into breakout rooms to discuss this week’s readings.” You quickly go to click the ‘leave meeting’ button and then remember a large portion of your grade in this class is participation. You sigh and await the awkwardness to come once assigned to a room.
Although being assigned to random groups of students for the sake of participation is bound to be uncomfortable, there are ways to reduce the awkwardness and maybe even have a bit of fun. If you are unsure where to even begin, the following five tips will help you to reduce the awkwardness in your next breakout room.
Tip 1: Come Prepared
Make sure you understand the material and can discuss it before you begin class! If you can find the time, write down talking points or questions to ask your group members before you enter the breakout room. This way, you can easily contribute and have content to add to the discussion once it dies. Most profs will let you know when there will be breakout rooms for discussions, but it’s always better to be prepared no matter what.
Tip 2: Unmute Your Microphone and Turn on Your Video
Firstly, unmute your microphone! If there is any way to make a group uncomfortable, it is by being present in the breakout room but not being willing to speak. Then (if it is within your comfort zone and network bandwidth) turn on your video! This is important for having a personable conversation and getting to know your classmates. Everyone is in the same boat, so you do not need to look your finest and have the perfect lighting or background. People would rather see your face and hear your voice, and no one is passing judgment – we all look like we just rolled out of bed, not just you!
Tip 3: Break the Ice
One of the best ways to make breakout rooms less awkward is to get to know the people who have appeared as tiny squares on your computer screen. You can break the ice by introducing yourself and asking the other members of your breakout room their names. You can also ask your classmates what their majors are or how they are enjoying the course content.
While briefly getting to know your breakout room members, attempt to be friendly and personable but also professional. Trying to be best friends with your group members may come off as invasive, but you also don’t need to be rigid. By doing this, you can avoid experiencing moments of awkward silence where no one knows what to do or what to say.
Tip 4: Have a Conversation
Typically, in breakout rooms, there are two scenarios: you have been given specific questions/tasks to work through or you have just been asked to ‘talk’ about what you have learned.
In the case of the former, you are lucky and don’t have to work as hard to keep the conversation going. Just remember to contribute to what others are saying. By doing this, you will avoid flying through all the assigned work, which will leave you sitting in a silent breakout room for a prolonged period.
If your professor has given you no specific questions to discuss with your classmates it is really important to listen to what others are saying, respond to it and add to the conversation to keep it going. The quickest way to kill a conversation is by saying, “yes, I agree,” with no follow up for someone else to comment on.
Tip 5: Don’t Overrun or Underrun the Conversation
The last tip is to find the sweet spot between talking a lot and talking a little. This is relevant for any classroom discussion but is especially important during breakout rooms because people talking over each other occurs much more frequently and it can be hard for some to have their voice heard.
If you find yourself talking a lot during discussions, just make sure that you are not taking away from timid people’s ability to speak, and if you tend towards being reserved during discussions, work hard to have your voice be heard by contributing!
Hopefully, with the use of these five tips, you will be able to avoid any discomfort during Zoom breakout rooms. As a final note, remember that everyone in your breakout room is likely a little bit uncomfortable. By taking the initiative to break down the social discomfort, you will set an example for future conversations!